Ethiopia now considering peace deal

Ethiopia has indicated that it is now ready to accept a new plan put forward by the Organisation of African Unity to end the border war with Eritrea.

The Eritreans have already accepted the proposal and Ethiopian delegates, attending peace talks in Algiers, said they accepted the plan in principle but needed to consult the government in Addis Ababa before giving a final decision. The plan is reported to call for an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops to their pre-war positions and an international peacekeeping force along the disputed border. Despite progress at the talks, Ethiopia launched a fresh military offensive all along its border with Eritrea on Saturday, saying it had been forced to go on the attack because of provocations by the Eritrean army.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service